NATO is tired of their soldiers getting killed by allies, or enemies posing as allies. So now, instead of working closer together it's been decided the solution is to limit the interaction between Afghan and NATO forces. BBC has the full story.
I'm not saying commanders are wrong to take this step--you can't allow people to be attacked without reacting to it. But it is troubling after so much progress.
The goal of the Taliban and other separatists is to split the Afghan people from the NATO support. If they can isolate the Afghan people, they can make sure things go back to how they were pre-2001. It doesn't take much violence to terrorize a village into submission, and the Taliban are GOOD at terrorizing the locals.
By either instigating or infiltrating, they have managed to drive a massive wedge between the Afghan forces that will need to stand on their own, and the NATO forces that are supposed to be preparing them to do it.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the trajectory at this point, unless both Afghan and NATO officers find a way to continue building the capability of the Afghan security forces despite this new diabolical challenge.
Showing posts with label Afghanistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Afghanistan. Show all posts
Tuesday
Not Much To Look at Here...
There isn't a whole lot to say right now, namely 'cause I've worked a series of turn and burn, 12 hour shifts over the past few days. That's left precious little chances to do much more than sleep and work, so...I've fallen behind the times.
I do have a few links from my Google News Alert system worth sharing, so I'll use that as a cop out tonight:
Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are having trouble with Obama's Afghanistan plan...but for different reasons. Members from Ohio aren't any different.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are having problems money-wise, and the possibility of them finding a new home has surfaced (even if it isn't seriously on the table yet). While Mayor Coleman is pretty fired up about trying to find a solution, Franklin County Commissioners are a little less enthusiastic.
So that's it. For today. I have bigger plans for Thursday...but at the moment, I need to get back to focusing on learning to be the boss at my new job.
Wednesday
A Closer Look at Clinton
Since she isn't my favorite, I'll look at her first. Here are a few stances she has on her issues.
Clinton:
War in Iraq: Near as I can tell, didn't vote for the war PER SE, but voted for authorization because the Administration apparantly mentioned they'd try and use diplomacy first. As far as ending the war, she says she'll do it, starting phased redeployment (wow that's a loaded term) within the first 60 days of her administration.
Education: Clinton issues a press release about NCLB I found on the Senate website (yay Google!). It says essentially that it's a wonderful thing, but now it needs to be revamped based on what's happened in the last five years and then funded appropriately. I didn't see much in the way of college level positions, but really...if we're doing a good job at the high school level, the kids will be able to get into college.
Bipartisanship: Every candidate talks a big game about bipartisanship, because all the polls tells them we're sick to death of partisan bickering. I couldn't find any specific statements about this from Clinton. I also can't remember any big across-aisle reaches from her (I could be wrong there). I do know she makes conservatives foam at the mouth (for reasons I don't really understand...) and that's not conducive to getting things done.
Diplomacy: That same article I cited under ending the war in Iraq mentions quite a bit about diplomacy as part of her rebuilding plan. If that is any indicator on how her diplomatic efforts in other ends of the world, it makes quite a bit of sense. Also, the campaign ads I've been seeing (since she HAS to win in Ohio, more or less) mentioned an "end to cowboy diplomacy," which I'd be ok with.
...And Now for Some News...
Obama Wins Mississippi Primary, from NPR
Governor Spitzer Resigns in Scandal, from NPR (he was caught by the same tactics he pushed for as NY Attorney General...irony, eh?)
British Air Strike Kills Afghan Civilians, from the BBC
Rwandan Priest Gets Life Term on Appeal, from BBC
Columbus Appoints Homeless Advocate to Mayor's Office, from WCBE
Union Vote at Ohio Hospitals Called Off, from WVXU
Clinton:
War in Iraq: Near as I can tell, didn't vote for the war PER SE, but voted for authorization because the Administration apparantly mentioned they'd try and use diplomacy first. As far as ending the war, she says she'll do it, starting phased redeployment (wow that's a loaded term) within the first 60 days of her administration.
Education: Clinton issues a press release about NCLB I found on the Senate website (yay Google!). It says essentially that it's a wonderful thing, but now it needs to be revamped based on what's happened in the last five years and then funded appropriately. I didn't see much in the way of college level positions, but really...if we're doing a good job at the high school level, the kids will be able to get into college.
Bipartisanship: Every candidate talks a big game about bipartisanship, because all the polls tells them we're sick to death of partisan bickering. I couldn't find any specific statements about this from Clinton. I also can't remember any big across-aisle reaches from her (I could be wrong there). I do know she makes conservatives foam at the mouth (for reasons I don't really understand...) and that's not conducive to getting things done.
Diplomacy: That same article I cited under ending the war in Iraq mentions quite a bit about diplomacy as part of her rebuilding plan. If that is any indicator on how her diplomatic efforts in other ends of the world, it makes quite a bit of sense. Also, the campaign ads I've been seeing (since she HAS to win in Ohio, more or less) mentioned an "end to cowboy diplomacy," which I'd be ok with.
...And Now for Some News...
Obama Wins Mississippi Primary, from NPR
Governor Spitzer Resigns in Scandal, from NPR (he was caught by the same tactics he pushed for as NY Attorney General...irony, eh?)
British Air Strike Kills Afghan Civilians, from the BBC
Rwandan Priest Gets Life Term on Appeal, from BBC
Columbus Appoints Homeless Advocate to Mayor's Office, from WCBE
Union Vote at Ohio Hospitals Called Off, from WVXU
Columbus Government
Since I've moved, it's time to get acquainted with a new set of government officials. Let's start with the Mayor of Columbus and the City Council.
The city's website is pretty simple: http://www.columbus.gov/. I love it when it's that simple. The main page here has all kinds of links that are just pretty spiffy. The central features have some interesting news bites...hrm. Have to look into that.
The Mayor's Page has a lot of the same information as the main city page, but also has contact info for the Mayor.
The City Council has a main page, that branches off into all sorts of information about the council and it's individual members.
City Attorney has his own page.
As does the City Auditor.
Clerk of Courts has her own webspace.
And a list of Judges.
I think that covers it all. Now to update my sidebar links...
...and Now for Some News....
McCain, Clinton Win in Florida, from NPR
Army Balks at VA Help for Soldiers, from NPR
Afghan MPs Back Death for Blasphemy, from BBC
EU Leaders Call for Transparency, from BBC
Organizations Worried Over State Budget Troubles, from WVXU
The city's website is pretty simple: http://www.columbus.gov/. I love it when it's that simple. The main page here has all kinds of links that are just pretty spiffy. The central features have some interesting news bites...hrm. Have to look into that.
The Mayor's Page has a lot of the same information as the main city page, but also has contact info for the Mayor.
The City Council has a main page, that branches off into all sorts of information about the council and it's individual members.
City Attorney has his own page.
As does the City Auditor.
Clerk of Courts has her own webspace.
And a list of Judges.
I think that covers it all. Now to update my sidebar links...
...and Now for Some News....
McCain, Clinton Win in Florida, from NPR
Army Balks at VA Help for Soldiers, from NPR
Afghan MPs Back Death for Blasphemy, from BBC
EU Leaders Call for Transparency, from BBC
Organizations Worried Over State Budget Troubles, from WVXU
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